Posts Tagged ‘Best Direction of a Play’

Broadway In Chicago is beyond excited for the 2016 Tony Awards on Sunday June 12th 7-10PM CT! We’ll be highlighting the nominees in each category and filling you in on some fun facts each week leading up to the award ceremony.

Here are the 10 phenomenal directors nominated for Best Direction of a Play and Best Direction of a Musical:

BEST DIRECTION OF A PLAY

Rupert Goold – “King Charles III”

Jonathan Kent – “Long Day’s Journey Into Night”

Joe Mantello – “The Humans”

Liesl Tommy – “Eclipsed”

Ivo van Hove – “A View from the Bridge”

Here are some fun facts:

-Jonathan Kent directed the revival of “Man of La Mancha” in 2002. Flashback to when “Man of La Mancha” first premiered in Chicago at the old Shubert Theatre June 2 – June 28, 1969!

-“Eclipsed”, led by the direction of Liesl Tommy, is making history as the first all black and all female Broadway show!

-Joe Mantello is well known for his direction of “Wicked” which was last at the Oriental Theatre October 30 – December 21, 2013.

BEST DIRECTION OF A MUSICAL

Michael Arden – “Spring Awakening”

John Doyle – “The Color Purple”

Scott Ellis – “She Loves Me”

Thomas Kail – “Hamilton”

George C. Wolfe – “Shuffle Along, Or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed”

Here are the 10 phenomenal directors nominated for Best Direction of a Play and Best Direction of a Musical:

Best Direction of a Play

Stephen Daldry, “Skylight”

Marianne Elliott, “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time”

Scott Ellis, “You Can’t Take It With You”

Jeremy Herrin, “Wolf Hall Parts One & Two”

Moritz von Stuelpnagel, “Hand to God”

Here’s a few fun facts:

– Stephen Daldry made his feature film directorial debut in 2000 with “Billy Elliot” and then went on to win Best Direction of a Musical for the stage version in 2009. “Billy Elliot” also played here in Chicago at the Oriental Theatre from March 18, 2010 – November 28, 2010.

– In 2011, Marianne Elliott won the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play for the Broadway production of “War Horse,” along with co-director Tom Morris. The production toured through Chicago December 18, 2012 – January 5, 2013 at the Cadillac Palace Theatre.

– Scott Ellis attended the Chicago Goodman School of Drama.

Best Direction of a Musical

Sam Gold, “Fun Home”

Casey Nicholaw, “Something Rotten!”

John Rando, “On the Town”

Bartlett Sher, “The King and I”

Christopher Wheeldon, “An American in Paris”

Here’s a few more fun facts:

– Sam Gold started out as an actor, appearing as a replacement understudy in “The Diary of Anne Frank” on Broadway in 1997-1998.

– John Rando won the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical for “Urinetown the Musical” in 2002. He also directed “The Wedding Singer” on Broadway in 2006.

– In 2014, Bartlett Sher directed the beautiful musical, “The Bridges of Madison County” which unfortunately only ran for 100 performances from February 2014 to May 2014.